History

XLII. NEW BEHAVIOURS AND EXAMS

chapter forty-two; the prisoner of azkaban

1994

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It was hard to tell whether Professor Trelawney had heard them, as her face was hidden in shadow. She continued, however, as though she had not.

"Crystal-gazing is a particularly refined art," she said dreamily. "I do not expect any of you to See when first you peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start by practising relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes. . . ."

Ron began to snigger uncontrollably, and had to stuff his fist in his mouth to stifle the noise.

". . . .So as to clear the Inner Eye and the superconscious. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will See before the end of the class."

Ron kept breaking into silent giggles and Zoe and Hermione kept tutting.

"Seen anything yet?" Harry asked them, after a quarter of an hour's quiet crystal-gazing.

"Yeah, there's a burn on this table," said Ron, pointing. "Someone's spilled their candle."

"This is such a waste of time," Hermione hissed. 

"We could be practising something useful," Zoe added, "we could be catching up on Cheering Charms. . . ."

Professor Trelawney rustled past.

"Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?" she murmured over the clinking of her bangles.

"I don't need help," Ron whispered. "It's obvious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight."

Harry, Zoe and Hermione burst out laughing.

"Now, really!" said Professor Trelawney, as everyone's heads turned in their direction. Parvati and Lavender were looking scandalised. "You are disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations!"

She approached their table and peered into their crystal ball. Zoe and Hermione shared looks. 

"There is something here!" Professor Trelawney whispered, lowering her face to the ball, so that it was reflected twice in her huge glasses. "Something moving, but what is it?" 

Zoe sighed.

"My dear," Professor Trelawney breathed, gazing up at Harry. "It is here, plainer than ever before. . . . my dear, stalking towards you, growing ever closer. . . . the Gr. . . ."

"Oh, for goodness' sake!" said Hermione, loudly. 

"Not that ridiculous Grim again!" Zoe added. 

Professor Trelawney raised her enormous eyes to Zoe and Hermione's face. Parvati whispered something to Lavender, and they both glared at Zoe and Hermione, too. Professor Trelawney stood up, surveying Zoe and Hermione with unmistakeable anger.

"I am sorry to say that from the moment you two arrived in this class, my dears, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly Mundane."

There was a moment's silence. Then. . . .

"Fine!" said Hermione suddenly, getting up and cramming Unfogging the Future back into her bag, Zoe doing the same. "Fine!" she repeated. Zoe swun the bag over her shoulder and almost knocking Harry off his chair. 

"This is so stupid!" Zoe snapped, "I'm leaving!"

And to the whole class's amazement, Zoe and Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight. The two girls walked down the spiral staircase with a look of shock on both their faces.